Pedal



SSP- 1v, .1931. J. R. THORP ET AL K 1,821,538

PEDALn Filed oct. 22, 192s 8 f gig 7 I UNITED-'STA Patented Sept. 1, 1931 1511"-,4 oFFlcEf JOEL R. THOR? AND CLARENCE IFAUSCH, 013 VIES'JJ."ALL1S, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOKBS TO -lcoNsIN .n f

PEDAL l p Application'1ed`0etober22, 1929f/Serial No. 401,431.

The present invention relates lin general .to improvements in foot manipulated ,lever structures, kand relates more specicallyfto improvements inthe construction and operl l ation of pedalmechanisms y forhcontrolling or actuating various machinessuch as the A engines of automobiles or the like.

isto provide a pedal mechanism ywhich is An object of the invention is to provide lan 1 improved pedal ystructure which is relatively simple in construction and highly eiiicient in I A g Y)ing bracket.

operation. Another object ofthe invention especially adapted to be detachably associated with the accelerator or'other control Vdevices for the engine of va motormdriven vehicle. A further object ofthe invention p vide la new and useful automobile accessory a which will: facilitate the operation of motor cars7 which may be readilyl appliedor removed by anovice, and fwhich presents a neat appearance.` Still. affurther object of the invention is to.. provide an-improved pedal structure `which is ysimple-,compact and rigid in construction, and which-maybe manufactured and soldat moderatev cost.` These and additional Lobjects and advantages of the improvement, will be apparent, from` A f'rThe pedal 2 maybe stampedvtrom a sinv-gle piece otisheet-metal and has itkupper the followingy detailed description ofthe invention'. Y 'Y ,c Y j 'A A clear conception, o ianA embodimentwof kthe present improvement, andof the mode Y of Vconstructing and of .operating devices manufactured ini accordance therewith,`y may Vbe had yby referringto the'drawings ac-v companying and forming apart Aof this specicationlin'which like reference characters designate the same., or

severalv views.

Fig. 1 1s a vertical the: improved i pedal mechanisms,v yshowing VAthe same associated with the ":lloor boards and with the accelerator rod of an autof mobile..

section through one of A' CPORATION yOF VIS- il.;

Fis-2 isf .afbottom View of the pedal, @fillthe mechanism' shown in Fig. l, with the pivot pin,v supporting bracket and actuating spring removed therefrom. v

- Fig. ,3,is a transverse section f Fig. `is atop view ofthe-pedal supporting bracket. l l, y

1 Fig. 5 is a side view of the pedal supportvFig.- 61s a iront en d view of theV pedal supporting bracket.

FigQ? isatop view ofthe springholder of the improved .pedal mechanism.

j Fig. 8 a rearfendview of holder-Ly Fig. 9 isasideview, of they spring holder. The improved pedal mechanism or structhe spring `ture specifically illustrated in the drawing` comprisesfin general an oscillatory sheet metall pedal 2 having sidewalls 3l to the ylower portions of. whichapivot Vpin 5 is secured; a'sheet metals'upporting.bracket 6 Yhaving uprstanding earsl provided with notches 18 with vwhich, the pivot 'pin 5 is associable;` a spring holder 21 and a spring` 7 carried by the pivot pin and cooperable with the'bracket 6 and withtheipedal 2 respectively; a sheet metal track element l0 secured to the upper medial portion of the undersideof the .pedal 2; anda button 11 disposed within a longitudinal recessof thev elementi lOand'having afsupport 16.-- f

portion.recessed-,forlthereception of a soft rubberpad L which may be held in position by means of metal cleats 17 4passing through holes ,in the pedal kanddoent laterally lbe-c':

A y through the@ pedal, taken along the 'linerlIIs-HI of lilig. 2., i i

ses

erably formed from a single piece of sheet v -metal with the aidof dies, and hasits'forward end provided with anfintegral up- -turned stop lange 9411The-stop flange 9 extends upwardly to about the centers of the notches 18, and the notches 18 open in a direction away from the ange 9. The supporting bracket 6 may be fastened to the horizontal floor board 141 by means of bolts OI SCIGWS.

The spring holder 21 is also preferably stamped from a single plate of sheet metal, and is swingably supported upon the pivot pin 5 within the notched ears of the supporting bracket 6 when the structure is assembled. The holder 21 is provided with a detent 19 which is adapted to engage the upper edge of the iange 9 of the bracket `6, as shown in Fig. 1, and has an extension 8 projecting forwardly beyond the detent 19. The .oppositel sides of the spring holder 21 are provided with centralizing lugs 20 projecting outwardly over the upstanding ears of the supporting bracket 6 and adapted to coact' with the side walls 3 of the pedal 2. The coil spring 7 embraces the pivot pin 5 and has its ends engaging the pedal 2 and the holder 21 respectively, as shown in Fig. 1. The formation and disposition of the spring 7 Vis such that the spring pressure constantly urges the pedal 2 upwardly away from the frontrinclined iioor board 14 of fthe automobile, and the spring 7 may be compressed Vby pressing the holder eXten- A4sion 8 toward the underside of the pedal 2.

,The track element 10 may likewise be "formed of a single'piece of sheetV metal with the aid of dies, and may be attached to the pedal"2 as hereinabove indicated; The element 10 is provided with a longitudinal recess having open opposite ends and of transverse crosssection substantially as shown inlig.` The side walls of thev element 10 are bent inwardly so asto positivelypr'event lateral removal of the button 11 from within the recess of the element 10, thus lpermitting removal of the button 11V only from 'an open'end of the recess.

` The button'l has ya substantially spherical zone surface `coacting` withV and slidable y along the upper surface of the recess of the track 'element 10, thus permitting slightl tiltingof thepedal' 2 without jamming.

The button 11 is rigidly attached fto the upper end of a support 16 having distortable `lugs 13 for' effecting attachment of the button y11 "to the head 12 of the accelerator 44rhdl. lThe accelerator rod 15 islongivtudinally movable` `through an opening in theinclined-ioor board 14, and is -normaliy retained in Vupper'or ineffective position by @means o f a spring as shown in Fig. 1.- The t1aceeleratorrod 15, head 12 and other elethe Hoor board, constitute standard equip` ments associated with therod l'beneath ment -onmost lautomobiles.

When the improved pedal mechanism `has :been assembled and associated with the ac- Y pedaly 2 back to inactive position.

mobile as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, application of foot pressure to the pedal 2 will cause the same to swing downwardly about the pivot pin 5, and to move the accelerator rod 15 downwardly, simultaneously compressing the spring 7. During such downward swinging of the pedal 2 about the pivot'pin 5, the button 11 travels longitudinally within therecess ofthe track element 10, suchfrelative movement of the button 11 being due to the fact that the accelerator rod 15 is longitudinally movable along a relatively fixed axis and cannot be shifted laterally to conform with the arc of movement of the pedal 2. Upon release of the downward pressure, the spring 7 and the return spring acting upon the accelerator rod 15, immediately become effective to swing the The limits of travel of the pedal 2 should be such that the button 11 will noty leave the open ends of the recess in the track element 10, during normal operation of the pedal 2.

If it becomes desirable to remove the pedal 2 from the bracket 6 and from the i placement of the pedal 2, the button 11 willr 100 slide longitudinally along the recess of the track element 10`and will eventually leave the recess through the forward open end thereof.` The pedal 2 may. obviously be re-, stored to normal operating position by again pressing the extension 8 of the spring holder 21 toward thel underside of 'the pedal ,2 and by subsequently sliding the pivot pin 'lnto the notches 18 and the button 11 into,

the recess of the track element 10, and finali ly releasing the extension 8 to permit the detent 19 to reengage the Hangs 9 ofthe 'bracket 6. 'When' the spring holder 21 engages the flange 9 and the pedalr2 is re-r,

leased the Spring 7 quicklyv becomes effecf V 115 tive to urge the pedal2 upwardly as far as the button 11 permits.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention provides an. pedal structure which issimple and compact` in construction and highly eHicient in operation. The mechanism may obviously be readily" applied to any standard automobile, and the pedal '2 may be conveniently..` applled and removed. The pedal structure -is applicable to any reciprocating control rodother than the accelerator rod 15 shown herein.V The various parts ofthe structure may be manufactured at minimum cost with the ald of punches and dies, and present a neat appearance when plated and polished. The' improved pedal mechanism not only facilitates actuation of the accelerator, but also protects the floor of the car and vthe shoes of the operator against extreme local wear.

It should be understood Vthat it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and operation herein shown and described, jor various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and' desired to secure by Letters Patent l. In combination, a longitudinally movable rod having an enlarged end portion, a substantially spherical button detachably associated with said rod portion, a pedal swingable over said'rod portion, and an element secured to the medial lower portion of said pedal, said 'element having a recess within which said button is slidable and having side walls extending under the opposite sides of said button.

2. In combination, a longitudinally movable rod, a b-utton detachably associated with the upper end of said rod, a pedal projecting over said button, and an element secured to the underside of said pedal, said element having an open ended recess through which said button is slidable and being Jformed to prevent lateral removal of said button from said recess. v

3. In combination, a longitudinally movable rod having an enlarged upper end, a swingable pedal projecting over said rod end, a spring constantly urging said pedal away from ysaid rod end, and an element vsecured to the underside of said pedal and having a recess slidably engaging said rod end, said element being formed to permit removal of said rod end only from an end of said recess.

4. In combination, a supporting bracket having rearwardly open notches and a transverse abutment in front of said notches, a pivot pin coacting with said notches, a pedal swingable upon said pin, a spring for urging said pedal in one direction, Vand a holder :oacting with said spring and with said abutment to hold said pin within said notches.

5.,In combination, a supporting bracket having upstanding ears provided with rear-l wardly open knotches and also having an abutment flange disposed forwardly of said by said pin and having a detent engageable with said flange, and a spring coacting with said pedal and with said holder to urge said detent against said flange.

7. In combination, a supporting bracket having open notches and an abutment iiange, a pivot pin coacting with said notches, a pedal having its lower portion pivotally associated with said pin, means for limiting the upward swinging motion of said pedal, a spring for urging said pedal upwardly with respect to said limiting means, and a spring holder coacting with said spring and with said flange to retain said pivot pin within said notches.

8. In combination, a bracket having rearwardly open notches and a iiange disposed forwardly oi' said notches, a pedal having a pivot pin coacting with said notches, means coacting with said pedal remote from said pin for limiting the swinging movement of said pedal, a spring for urging said pedal away from said limiting means, and a spring holder coacting with saidspring and with said flange to retain said pin within said notches.

9. In combination, a brackethaving open notches, a pin coacting with said notches, a pedal carried by said pin, a spring coacting with said pedal, and a spring holder coacting with said spring and with a portion of said bracket to retain said pin within said notches, said pin being removable from said notches upon compression of said spring by movement of said holder toward said pedal.

10. In combination, a pedal having a track element associated with its bottom toe portion and having a pivot pin associated with its bottom heel portion, a button coacting with said element to limit the movement of said pedal in one direction, a bracket having open notches with which said pin cooperates, a spring holder carried by said pin and coacting with said bracket to retain said pin within said notches, and a spring Jfor urging said pedal and said holder apart.

In testimony whereof, the signatures of the inventors are aixed hereto.

JOEL R. THORP. CLARENCE FAUSCI-I.

ears, a pedal having a supporting pivot pin Y coacting with said notches, a spring holder carried by said pin and having a detent engaging said flange, and a spring for urging said holder detent against said flange.

6. In combination, a bracket having upstanding ears provided with rearwardly open notches and also having an upstanding ange disposed forwardly of said ears, a pivot pin coacting with said notches, a pedal carried by said pin, a spring holder carried 

